Tobacco press



H. L. SMITH TOBACCO PRESS Jan. 5, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 14, 1930 INVENTOR. Howard 11. ,Smz'fh BYATTORNEY.

Jan. 5, 1932.

H. L SMITH TOBACCO PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Howard L. SmifizFiled Nov. 14, 1930 IL I l l 8 l I ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 5, 1932 ,How Bn 1. smrmon LETXTNGTONQ KENTUCKY I wonxccomess fuiiiaicetioafiia 'liove'mberf 4, 1936; Serial at. 495,752.

This invention relates to tobacco press and has for "its 'pri'mary object' to provide, in a manner ashereinafterjset forth; a device "of suchcharacter which is thoroughly *eflicient @ziii operatiom and which isof-- exceedingly strong; simp-le a'nd inexpensiveconstruction; A furtherobject of 'tl1'e invention'is to provid'e' 'at'oba'cc'o" press including'a press board capable of movement in: opposite directions olongitudinally of a compression chamber to press' tobacco in 'eithenendof the chamber,

and' fu-rther includingautomatically operating means for retaining thepress board in pressing engagement-with the tobaccopressed thereb'yaftenthe release of the power-for operatingrthe pi-ess board;

parts hereinaften more particularly described; and as illustrated in the'accompany- I ing; drawings wherein is shown 1 air embodiment' of'theinvention; but it is to be under secured to a pair of verticallydisposed, spaced g plates 11 which constitute the press board of stoodthat thedescription and drawings are tobe taken as illustrative and thatthe invention' is intended to be 'limited only by the scope of theclaimshereunto appended; 1

In -the='acco'mpany1ngf 'drawings in I which I like numerals are"employed t0wdesignate' like I side members. Carried by the plates '11are "parts throughout'the"several views'f 1* Figure '1 is -a *tOpl plan"ofatobacco press *in- 1 accordance with this invention. 7

Figure Z isa side elevation thereof; j Figure is awertica-l sectiontherethrough 'talrenOmthe line:=3-'' 3 of Figure 1; 5 Figuree isavertical section therethrough taken on the line l hof Figure 2; A

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmentary section taken at, a point indicatedby the line Referringi to thevdra wings in detail, the

numeral '1; designates aplural-ity of vertically;

disposed supporting-posts of angleiron iconstruction, four of such;posts being employed and constitutingthe corner posts of the press. Having end port ons thereof fixedly, secured totheposts -1 are'ta pair of1 side members whichextendin plarallel spaced relation, and whichpreferably are formed of metal. At the endsof the :side' members Q-a-reaail- 0f end members 3 which arepreferably formed of a metal and whichare secured to the support 'ing posts 1; Theend members '3 coact withthe side members? to provide a compression" chamber kwh'ich is'open atits top and bot- 85 tom; Secu'red to the outer faces of theside members2 and extending longitudinally thereof are a pair of angle beams 5, thelower faces of which aresubstantially flush with the lower edges of theside members 2. $92.: eo

'cured t-o the outer faces of the side members 2 which extends a shaft8. The shaft 8 projects from both sides of 'the pressfand isprovidedatone end'with a detachablepower crank 92 The shaft 8 is journaled in apair of bearings 10 which are dispose'dfbetween and fixedlythe press;' cThe plates 11 are ofiappropriate w'idth to snugly between theside'plates 2 without bindin'gyandextend above and below the upper andlower edgesrespectivelyof the a plurality'of spacerelements whichinclude relatively; short rigidtu'bes 12 haying bolts 13' 3 extending:therethrough and through the platesll; The tubes 12 maintain the plates11in spaced-relation, While the bolts 13 main- "ta-in theinner faces ofthe plates 11 in contact- 1 ---with the end faces of the tubes '12.

Secured'to the upper and'lower-edges'of thelplates 11 are a pairofrigid, endlessstrap's 14:, the side portions 15 of which arevertically disposed in slightly spaced relation to the beams 5 and 6.Fixedlysecured to the inner faces of the vertically disposed portions15" :on opposite sides of the press are ap'air of angular guides16'Wl11Cll'iLIG located in spaced 2' relation to the bottoms of theVertically dis posed portions 15, and end portions of which restuponrthe upper faces of the beams'fi.

Fixedly secured to the innerfaces of the vr ticallydisposed portions 15on oppositesides-1106" of the press are similar angular guides 17 whichare located in spaced relation to the upper ends of the verticallydisposed portions 15, and end portions of which bear against the lowerfaces of the beams 6.

Fixedly mounted on the shaft 8, on opposite sides of the press, andoutwardly of the side members 2, are a pair of cog wheels 18, the teethof which project upwardly through openings 19 in the beams 6 to providefor a movement of the press board longitudinall of the chamber 4 upon arotation of the she. 8. Integrally connected with the straps 14,adjacent each side member 2, are a pair of pawls 20 which are adapted toextend at downward inclinations into engagement with the openings 19.

In the operation of the press, tobacco is suitably suspended to extendinto the chamber 4 between the press board and one of the end members 3.The pawls 20, at the side of the press board adjacent the tobacco in thechamber are then swung upwardly about their pivots to a position such asindicated in dotted lines in Figure 3 and designated by the letter A.The shaft 8 is then rotated by means of the power crank 9 in a directionto move the press board towards the tobacco in the chamber by theengagement of the teeth of the cog wheels 18 with the openings 19 in thebeams 6. As the press board moves longit'udinally of the chamber, thepawls 20 at the opposite side of the press board from the tobacco in thechamber successively engage in the openings 19. When the press board hasmoved a sufficient distance to firmly press the tobacco between the sameand one of the end members 3, the power for rotating the shaft 8 may bereleased, and any return movement of the press board will be preventedby the following pawls 20 which engage the walls of the openings 19which are adjacent thereto and maintain the press board in ressingengagement with the pressed to acco within the chamber.

It is thought that the many advanta es of a tobacco press in accordancewith t is invention will be readily apparent, and although the preferredembodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to beunderstood that changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to, so long as such changes fall within the scope of theinvention as defined in the ap nded claims.

at I claim is 1. A press comprising, means to provide an elongatedcompression chamber adapted to'- receive therein a substance to becompressed and including a pair of side members, a press board movablelongitudinally of the chamber to compress the substance therein, a pairof spaced beams secured to the outor face of each side member andprojecting horizontally therefrom, a shaft extending transversely of thechamber and movable lon 'tudinally thereof, said shaft being rotata lyconnected with the ress board, means for rotating the shaft, sai shaftand one of the beams of each pair having coacting means for moving thepress board longitudinally of the chamber upon rotation of the shaft, arigid strap secured to the press board and extending peripherallythereof, guide members secured to the strap for abutment with the beamssecured to the side members, and coacting means on the shaft and one ofthe beams of each pair for automatically maintaining the press boardinpressing engagement with the compressed substance.

2. A press comprising, means to provide an elongated compression chamberadapted to receive in either end portion thereof a substance tobecomressed, said chamber including a pair of si e members formed withlongitudinally extending slots, a press board selectively movable inopposite directions longitudinally of the chamber to compress thesubstance therein, said press board including a pair of spaced plates, aplurality of spacer elements for-securing the plates of the pres boardtogether in spaced relation, an endless rigid strap extending around theperiphery 0 each plate of the press board and having side portionsthereof disposed outwardly of said side members, a pair of beams securedto the outer face of each side member and projecting horizontallytherefrom, a plural- 1ty of guide elements secured to said rigid strapsfor engagement with said beams, a shaft extending through the slots inthe side members, said shaft being rotatably connected with the pressboard, means for rotating the shaft, coacting means on said shaft andone of the beams of each pair for moving the press board longitudinallyof the chamber upon rotation of the shaft, and oppositely disposed pawlspivotally connected with said strap for engagement with the means onsaid last mentioned beams for maintaining the press board in pressingengagement with the compressed substance.

3. A press comprising, means to provide an elongated chamber adapted toreceive therein a substance to be compressed, a press board movablelongitudinally of the chamber to compress the substance therein, a rigidstrap secured to the press board and having portions thereof extendingalong the outer faces of the side walls of the chamber transversely ofsuch walls and in spaced relation thereto,

and guide members secured to said strap and-- disposed between the sameand the side walls of the chamber. a

4. A press comprising, means to provide an elongated chamber adapted toreceive therein a substance to be compressed, a press board movablelongitudinally of the chamber to compress the substance therein, a rigidstrap ecured to the press board and having portions thereof extendingalong the outer faces of the side walls of the chamber transversely ofsuch walls and in spaced relation thereto, beams secured to the outerfaces'of said side Walls and extending longitudinally of the chamber,and guide members secured to said strap and projecting inwardly intoengagement with said beams. 5. A press comprising, means to provide 10an elongated chamber adapted to receive therein a substance to becompressed, a. press board movable longitudinally of the chamber 7 tocompress the substance therein, and a rigid strap secured to the pressboard and having 15 portions thereof extending along theouter faces ofthe side Walls of the chamber transversely of such side Walls.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto. 2 V HOWARD L. SMITH.

